South Cook News

Nineteenth District state senate candidate Patrick Sheehan is calling for the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, citing a recent Chicago Sun-Times story about numerous arrests made during "essential movement" days, days in which suspects on home confinement – under the SAFE-T Act - go unmonitored.

“As a police officer, I can tell you the recently added provisions of the Illinois SAFE-T Act put our men and women in law enforcement in even more dangerous situations when we know unmonitored criminals waiting to go in front of a judge are out on our streets,” said Sheehan.

The law states that criminal defendants who are awaiting trial and are in home confinement should be allowed to be out in public for a minimum of two days without authorities keeping an eye on them. During these two days, the defendants are supposed to search for jobs, undergo treatment for drug addiction or mental illness, do grocery shopping, or attend school.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, dozens of people have been arrested during the "essential movement" time when they are not tracked. A man committed an armed robbery, and other defendants were charged with illegal drug dealing and weapon possession. According to police, three defendants went on shoplifting sprees, and two other individuals were shot dead.

Republicans have been requesting the repeal of the SAFE-T Act. 

“This entire law needs to be repealed and it is an even further insult to law enforcement, and the citizens we seek to protect everyday, that a new provision allows these criminal defendants to be out on the streets, let alone unmonitored,” Sheehan said.

The SAFE-T Act was signed into law on Jan. 22, 2021, by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.  Among other measures, the act implements sweeping reform impacting many aspects of the criminal justice system, including pre-arrest diversion, policing, pretrial, sentencing, and corrections.

The 19th District includes Frankfort, Modena and Homer Glen.